Prayer of the Refugee
by Tripenguinman
Summary: Fortune does not look lightly on Rico and this is reflected when he gets a "Reading" from Darla, that somehow connects to Skipper's need to destroy a recording on one of his tapes that everyone seems to be in on, except for Private.


**I do not use the songs used. Please enjoy and review.**

PRAYER OF THE REFUGEE

BY TRIPENGUINMAN

* * *

Let me enlighten you

This is how I pray

Living just isn't hard enough

Burn me alive inside

Living my life's not hard enough

Take everything away

-_Prayer _by Disturbed

* * *

PROLOGUE: BACKDRAFT

Let me hear you make decisions

Without your Televisions

Let me hear you speaking just for me

-_Stripped_ [English Version] by Rammstein

* * *

A crackling flame, ember of what was left of the burning tape recorder. Or not. The plastic had melted and sunken but on examination, Kowalski proved that it still played.

"Well that didn't work." Skipper said, as he looked down upon the tape, his flippers crossed behind his back.

"Nu-uh." Rico murmured in agreement.

"I still don't understand why you're so hasty to get rid of it, Skippah." Private said, turning to his leader.

"How many times do I have to say it?" Skipper cried, exasperated. "There are some things young boys do not need to know about."

Rico nodded and frowned at Private as he normally did, but his many emotions could be explained by one more furrow in his brow. Private looked to Kowalski. He only shrugged and shook his head.

"We could let Rico pulverize it," Kowalski mused, taking out his clipboard. "I calculate a 99.4% chance no one will be able to figure out the patterns in the various bits of ripped reel and decode it."

"That leaves 6% that I'm not happy about." Skipper said frowning and Rico agreed as well.

Kowalski sighed. "Well I don't know of any other sure-fire ways we can completely destroy the evidence."

"Evidence? What have you done, Skippah?" Private cried, once again attempting to get the secret.

"Nothing, little Private, just private information. Well we can figure something out tomorrow. Rico, swallow it until we are ready to destroy it, under no circumstances should you let it out, not even to listen to it yourself."

Rico nodded and quickly swallowed the tape.

"Is it dirty or something?" Private asked.

"No," Skipper sighed, turning his back and walking away. "Just private. I'm going to see how Marlene is doing."

"You did two hours ago. I doubt anything bad has befallen her in that amount of time." Private called after him, a bit annoyed.

"Kowalski, calculate the chances for him." Skipper called back and went up and out of the fishbowl entrance.

"I could recite those possibilities with all the times he's told me." Private sighed.

Kowalski scribbled the numbers down on his pad and tore off the sheet and handed it to Private. "Check for errors." He said, heading off toward his lab. Private sighed and turned to Rico who was turning away to go to his doll.

"So why is Skippah trying to get rid of that tape?"

Rico turned and made a slit throat motion across his own and then went to his doll, cuddling up to her. Private sighed and went to Kowalski.

"Why are the both of them so eager to get rid of that tape?"

"I'm not entirely sure," Kowalski said as he worked on loosening some screws in some kind of metal box with the wires torn out and hanging limply from the sockets in the object. The box was about three feet by three feet and mysterious. "It's between them."

"Well you must know something about it."

Kowalski sighed. "All I know is that it had something to do with the reading the baboons gave Rico and S-…"

"What reading?" Private interrupted.

"A fortune telling. After the whole "backwoods" magic thing, Darla claims to be able to read the future."

"When did Rico get a reading?"

Kowalski managed to wrench the last screw out and opened the box, poking the wires inside, and causing more things for Private to wonder about.

"After he and Skipper went to Marlene's to check for dangers."

"Why did Rico go?" Private could understand Skipper's two hour visits, but he didn't understand why Skipper would want Rico with him, considering he would probably rather be alone with Marlene.

"I can't… divulge that… information…" Kowalski said, each pause was a straining as he tried to pull a little plug-like gizmo from its place inside the box. This attachment seemed well placed. "I… suggest… you just… let it… be…"

Private sighed and rolled his eyes, looking down at his feet. Well he saw no more use at prying at it, since he didn't seem to be getting any answers. He made a mental note to ask Marlene and get a "reading" from Darla.

"So what are you working on there?" He asked.

"Something to… destroy the… tape…" Kowalski grunted.

Private tried one more time. "Why's that?"

"Because Skipper… told me to… Go visit… the mother duck… or something… Private…" Kowalski grunted and frowned at the little penguin.

"Fine." Private murmured, leaving the lab and heading out. He only wished at this moment that Skipper was not in charge. Whatever he had had shut the others up good. He only hoped his luck would change with Marlene and Darla.


End file.
